Methodology

Monthly cost estimates

Every county profile on LiveWhere includes estimated monthly living costs for three household types: a single person, a couple, and a family of four (two adults and two children). These estimates combine data from multiple official sources into a single figure that represents the approximate cost of essentials in that area.

Here is what each estimate includes and where the data comes from:

What "average" means on this site

When we say "average" on LiveWhere, we mean the median (the middle value when all values are lined up from lowest to highest). The median is more representative than the arithmetic mean for income and housing data because it is not distorted by extremely high or low values. For example, a few very expensive homes in an area can push the mean home value much higher than what a typical home actually costs. The median better reflects what a typical resident experiences.

How rankings are calculated

Our cheapest and most expensive rankings sort counties and states by estimated single-person monthly cost. To avoid statistical anomalies from very small populations, the cheapest and most expensive county rankings only include counties with at least 5,000 residents.

The "best value" ranking uses a disposable income score: the percentage of median household income that remains after estimated annual living costs. A higher score means local earnings stretch further relative to local costs. This ranking only includes counties with at least 10,000 residents.

How comparisons work

Comparison pages show both areas' data side by side for each category. Differences are shown in dollars and as percentages. The percentage difference is calculated as: (higher value − lower value) / lower value × 100.

Limitations and known gaps

No cost of living estimate is perfect. Ours have several known limitations:

• Water costs are estimated using regional averages rather than county-specific utility rates. Water pricing varies significantly by utility provider and is not available from a single national source.
• Healthcare costs use a default ACA marketplace benchmark premium rather than county-specific data. Actual healthcare costs depend heavily on employer coverage, plan type, age, and health status.
• Crime data is currently unavailable for many counties due to the FBI's ongoing transition from the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) system to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). We plan to add crime data as reporting coverage improves.
• Grocery estimates use national baselines adjusted by state-level price indexes. Actual food costs vary by neighborhood and shopping habits.
• Suppressed data. Some rural counties with very small populations may have suppressed or missing data in the Census ACS due to sample size limitations. Where data is unavailable, we show "n/a" rather than an estimate.

Update schedule

We update our data as new releases become available from each source:

• HUD Fair Market Rents: annually (October)
• Census ACS 5-Year Estimates: annually (typically September to December)
• EIA electricity and gas rates: annually
• Tax Foundation state tax rates: annually
• USDA Food Plans: updated periodically

The "Last updated" date on each page indicates when the data for that area was last refreshed.